Bernie Sanders: "White people don't know what it's like to be poor"

[Starla]

[Disco King]

I feel like part of the reason why so many white people dismiss the idea of "privilege" with this strawman version of it where it means that "every white person is rich and has never known suffering" is because some people on the left actually present it that way.

I mean, it's a small reason, because the bigger reason is that cognitive biases make it really hard for people to accept that external factors favour them over other people so they just have knee-jerk reactions to the idea whenever it's proposed, but still, this isn't helping.

That said, I didn't watch this debate so I know I shouldn't base my reactions on 11 seconds of video, but assuming what I saw was an accurate representation of Sanders' statement, stop it Sanders.

[The Omega Concern]

He's a Red Diaper Doper baby raised on Karl Marx. As such, he's hard wired into white guilt and spews off ignorant rants about race quite often.

[teh b0lly!!1]

at first i thought it was bernie mac who said this


might as well

[vixnix]

We trust the Bern and we do not question it.

[vixnix]

If I can be honest for a moment here, and listen, I'm not trying to be funny or anything - yes, of course, white people can be poor and discriminated against. But on the other hand, to be honest, fuck white people. You know?

[The Omega Concern]

Originally Posted by vixnix

We trust the Bern and we do not question it.

Do you always stand in ignorance when speaking in the collective?

[vixnix]

No. Just sometimes.

[The Omega Concern]

I'll take an open socialist over the career criminal. But he's not a real candidate and not because I think his views are too radical. Giving a pass to Hillary on the FBI investigation proved beyond all doubt he made a deal with the DNC and is a mere placeholder for fodder. The cabal didn't expect to rig the vote with him around, but they needed to. Having a harder time with that on the other side though...

[redbreegull]

Originally Posted by Disco King

I feel like part of the reason why so many white people dismiss the idea of "privilege" with this strawman version of it where it means that "every white person is rich and has never known suffering" is because some people on the left actually present it that way.

I mean, it's a small reason, because the bigger reason is that cognitive biases make it really hard for people to accept that external factors favour them over other people so they just have knee-jerk reactions to the idea whenever it's proposed, but still, this isn't helping.

That said, I didn't watch this debate so I know I shouldn't base my reactions on 11 seconds of video, but assuming what I saw was an accurate representation of Sanders' statement, stop it Sanders.

I think he may have just misspoken and meant white people don't know what it is like to be black and poor. But I think you're right, poor white culture is very demonized and ridiculed by metropolitan liberals and I don't really think it's that hard to understand why it would seem like the message is that their struggle doesn't matter because they are white... how can you expect someone who is abjectly impoverished and has never lived anywhere that it is not 95% purebred white to understand the nuances of racial privilege? And their non-understanding is just met with more intense disdain, mocking, sneering, and shaming

[duovamp]

http://i.imgur.com/U3qmqCJ.jpg

[killtrocity]

First off, white people aren't killing each other over street corners to feed their families. 1 in 15 white men are not going to be incarcerated in their lifetimes. There are unambiguous differences between white poverty and black poverty. Or for that matter Native American poverty, which nobody talks about because the voting bloc isn't large enough. White women aren't disappeared en masse from reservations to be raped and murdered.

Regardless, this was not a particularly tactful statement, nor even a meaningful one. This is the extent of liberal politics in America. This is where our heads are at. Even the supposed champion for the middle class speaks in utterly simplistic language regarding socioeconomic status. Of COURSE white people can be poor, because racial inequality always belies economic inequality. But good luck reaching a wide audience, not to mention a horribly destitute and uneducated one, with multiple dependent clauses in the same sentence, particularly when the subject of debate is inextricably tied to Marxist philosophy.

tl;dr - what duo said

[FoolofaTook]

Originally Posted by duovamp

http://i.imgur.com/U3qmqCJ.jpg

this is so awesome it needed to be posted again.

[vixnix]

What I can't believe about this situation is that nobody has asked Hillary "you've run twice before and lost. Why do you keep trying? What is it about you in particular, that you believe in so much that you're running for a third time?".

I hate all their stupid rhetoric. But I hate hers more, because everything just reeks of the status quo. She seems much more about personal ambition than genuine change.

I wouldn't be surprised if she's a corporate puppet and she's been blackmailed into running so that they can impact the legislature. You know, like they have for the last 20 years now. But maybe the Clintons have enjoyed one too many kickbacks and now need to pay back, a little. I can't imagine any other reason why someone would run, three frickin' times, after her own husband had been president, less than a generation ago. Like, is she actually insane? How could that be a good thing, for a country?

This perspective is brought to you by someone who has taken on board too many House of Cards storylines.

[Order 66]

She ran 2 times?

[vixnix]

Oh wow, it was only once. I feel like she's been trying forever and figured it was twice. Maybe because Obama's been elected twice.

[hnibos]

She's clearly ambitious, and very intelligent and isn't just being used.

She won't bite the hands that feed her though. She says that, while senator, she fought against the obscene pay of CEOS (nothing changed on that front), she brought up her concerns that eventually led to the great recession to wall street (she wasn't able to stop it), she wanted to close loopholes (again, unsuccessful). She definitely has a close relationship with them, since they are donating to her campaign, but really there is no reason to believe she will keep them in check. I at least expect her to be very liberal in social issues but I understand that won't be enough for white males so I totally expect a lot of sexist shit for the next 8 years.

[MyOneAndOnly]

Senators have no control over what private companies pay their leaders. Whether it's Bernie or Hillary it's all pandering

[MyOneAndOnly]

there is no way in hell that anybody will be elected to the Presidency without taking corporate money.

[reprise85]

Originally Posted by killtrocity

First off, white people aren't killing each other over street corners to feed their families. 1 in 15 white men are not going to be incarcerated in their lifetimes. There are unambiguous differences between white poverty and black poverty. Or for that matter Native American poverty, which nobody talks about because the voting bloc isn't large enough. White women aren't disappeared en masse from reservations to be raped and murdered.

Regardless, this was not a particularly tactful statement, nor even a meaningful one. This is the extent of liberal politics in America. This is where our heads are at. Even the supposed champion for the middle class speaks in utterly simplistic language regarding socioeconomic status. Of COURSE white people can be poor, because racial inequality always belies economic inequality. But good luck reaching a wide audience, not to mention a horribly destitute and uneducated one, with multiple dependent clauses in the same sentence, particularly when the subject of debate is inextricably tied to Marxist philosophy.

tl;dr - what duo said

If trends continue, 1-in-3 Black males born in 2001 will go to prison at some point in their lives, compared to 1-in-6 Hispanic American males and 1-in-17 white males born in the same year. That's PRISON - not jail...

source: the motherfucking justice department

other fun facts: source

In 2014, 6% of all black males ages 30 to 39 were in prison, compared to 2% of Hispanic and 1% of white males in the same age group.

Half of males (50%) and more than half of females (59%) in federal prison were serving time for drug offenses on September 30, 2014.

[buzzard]

Recently, a murder in Australia saw an eleven-year-old boy charged as one of a group that also included his father.

Statistics provided by the resulting newspaper article revealed that 80% of all children in state detention in Western Australia are Aboriginal, though Aborigines only make up 4.5% of the juvenile population.

[killtrocity]

Why is the video only 11 seconds long? The original statement was still rather obtuse, but an 11 second clip makes it worse

Sooo how about those poor white people in Michigan? From TIME:

Sanders had a strong showing with white, working-class voters, many of whom were likely swayed to support his strong opposition to trade agreements. Michigan’s manufacturing base has been eroded and jobs have left the state, with many attributing the losses to trade deals like NAFTA, passed under President Bill Clinton’s tenure.

This is from last year (http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpo...white-voters):

On why he says Democrats are losing white voters

Well, I am focusing on the fact that whether you're white or black or Hispanic or Asian, if you are in the working class, you are struggling to keep your heads above water. You're worried about your kids. What should the Democratic Party be talking about, Steve? What they should be talking about is a massive federal jobs program. There was once a time when our nation's infrastructure — roads, bridges, water systems, rail — were the envy of the world. Today that's no longer the case.

I would say if you go out on the street and you talk to people and say, "Which is the party of the American working class?" People would look to you like you were a little bit crazy, they wouldn't know what you were talking about, and they certainly wouldn't identify the Democrats.

He definitely gets it. He just fucked up the language.

[killtrocity]

Originally Posted by scottytheoneand

there is no way in hell that anybody will be elected to the Presidency without taking corporate money.

Then democracy is truly dead.


Sorry if that sounds like a quote from a ham-fisted Orwellian film, but its true

[yo soy el mejor]

no big deal. i guess we just expect the most out of him because he is the best candidate. i was even bugged when he said it was not okay for trump to make fun of latinos, blacks, gays, poor people, etc., but he didn't mention those with disabilities. no one ever mentions people with disabilities.

[Starla]

Originally Posted by killtrocity

He definitely gets it. He just fucked up the language.

I think he does too... and I hope others who are turning on him will see his record. Also - I don't understand why BLM has issues with him when he's been involved in plenty of racial justice work in the past.

[Starla]

Originally Posted by yo soy el mejor

no big deal. i guess we just expect the most out of him because he is the best candidate. i was even bugged when he said it was not okay for trump to make fun of latinos, blacks, gays, poor people, etc., but he didn't mention those with disabilities. no one ever mentions people with disabilities.

True, including natives. They are pretty much forgotten until it's time to elect a new president. They'll visit a few reservations, make some promises and forget about them.

[TheAeroplane]

How dare he forget one of the seven million marginalized groups in 'Murica ?

I guess it's time to get offended.

[Mood ring]

mipwowo

[duovamp]

Is anybody familiar with the subreddit /r/the_donald? Because it's pretty high energy.